Calvinism has changed the world: strict in morals, ascetic, and hostile to images, it contributed to the emergence of capitalism. Volker Reinhardt vividly recounts how the powerful preacher John Calvin (1509 - 1564) succeeded in rallying an entire city to a rigid moral course and transforming it into a "Reformed Rome." About 500 years ago, a human experiment took place in Geneva under Calvin's leadership. His goal was to unite the community in faith for the glory of God and to enforce a new, strict order of life: without cursing, card playing, banquets, and adultery, instead dedicated to prayer, work, and self-examination - all under the watchful eye of neighbors and the supervision of tireless control bodies. Volker Reinhardt illustrates the methods of persuasion, as well as deterrence, employed in this endeavor.